Fading Stars
by Ai-Kitsuneko Yuurei
Summary: -Oneshot- Tifa thinks they couldn't stay like this forever. This has to end.


_**Fading Stars**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII.**

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Tifa looked at the wall clock. "11:30 pm,", she thought. "Time to close the bar, I guess." The last customer already went home ten minutes ago and it seemed that there will be no more customers until the next day.

She absentmindedly stared at the wine glass she was wiping. The eerie silence and the coldness of the wind from outside somehow made her feel she's alone. Literally speaking she was, but as for the matter, she wouldn't want her heart immersed in confusion and sadness again.

She felt her vision becoming blur and her cheeks wet. She was crying. Before another tear could fall down on her face, she rubbed her eyes and wiped it all off. "Now is not the time for this, Tifa. Compose yourself!"

She put the glass away on the shelf and closed the bar's door. If any relative or friend of hers would want to enter to house, she knew that they already know the way on the kitchen door. Tifa checked around to see if everything was in place. She admits to herself that she has this side of being obsessive-compulsive that attacks her when no one notices. She may be a girl that often gets hurled up into manly fights, but she wouldn't let that knock her way off.

Tifa looked at the clock again. "11:45 pm; he'll be around in no time."

She sat on one of the chairs and rested her cheeks on the palm of her hands. The bar had never been the same ever since Marlene and Denzel were taken by Barrett. It was better that way, she thought, because she wouldn't be able to look after them more frequently than Barrett can. In addition to that, they may just get bored in the house.

Tifa turned her eyes to the picture frame that stood alone on the top of the cupboard. It was a picture of the whole AVALANCHE team when they defeated Kadaj and Sephiroth. She frowned at the thought of those enemies who caused nothing but trouble and chaos in the planet. Those were also the happy days, she remembered, when they were altogether.

And now she has to tell it to him.

"Tifa? Are you there?"

Tifa's train of thoughts were interrupted when he heard his voice. Cloud's voice, she noted on her head. She knows that deep inside him, nothing has changed.

_He will still keep searching for her; even if it was him who have let her body enter the lifestream in the first place._

"Coming, Cloud!" Tifa stood up and went to the kitchen to open the door. She stumbled upon Cloud, who was utterly drenched in water.

"Goodness me, Cloud! What happened to you? It isn't raining outside," Tifa told him. "Where you have you been?"

Cloud looked away from her, "It was raining on my way here. Healin lodge almost became a sea."

He entered inside and Tifa followed after closing the door. "Healin lodge?" She asked. "What were you doing there?"

"Delivery service." He curtly replied.

"Ah," Tifa nodded. Lately, she was the one who was keeping their conversations alive. He wouldn't talk until she asks. "There has been no change in him even if peace is back and his Geostigma healed."

"Uh, hungry?" Tifa could only bang her head against the wall for such silly questions.

"I already ate dinner; so, no thanks." His back was facing her and he was heading towards his room.

"I guess you need some time alone, eh?" she gently spoke to him.

He stopped in his tracks and nodded. Tifa felt her heart being pinched.

Cloud went upstairs and slammed his door shut. Tifa threw herself in the nearest sofa and quietly sobbed. "Nothing can make his mind change. It will be always her that he will love eternally."

"He can never love me back, he can't. It can't stay this way forever, I can't live in a situation like this every single day. This has to be stopped," she reflected on her mind.

"I.. have to let go."

Cloud was staring blankly in the window when he heard her knock on his door.

"Cloud, it's me. Can we talk?"

He opened the door and agreed, "Yes."

Cloud could only stare oddly Tifa. She was the type of girl to do these things, but didn't expect her to take him here. It was awkward, to say the least.

Tifa, on the other hand, happily gazed at the midnight sky. Up above, there are billions of stars shining like the brightest of diamonds. Her eyes were shining with luminosity and brilliance brought about by the sparkling stars. Taking her scrutiny away from the scenic view, she stared at Cloud and giggled at him because she he was dumbfounded. Actually, he looked adorable

"Let's see, you're wondering why I brought you here, in the grassy fields of the Edge?" She asked him.

"To tell the truth, yeah.." He replied. "You know very well Teef that I'm not a good companion when it comes to stargazing, so why brought me here?"

"So you really wanna know why I took you here, Cloud Strife?" This time, she looked seriously at him.

He tilted his head to the side. "Yes."

"Straight to the point, aren't we, Cloud? That's you."

"I just wanted to know why you brought me here, Tifa."

Tifa's smile faded away from her face and she stood up and faced Cloud. "It's time we end this up?"

Cloud gawked at her. "What do you mean?"

Tifa sighed heavily at first, then she started: "I want to open it all up to you Cloud. I know that after this you might think I'm too sensitive but trust me, this decision I'm going to make is going to benefit both of us."

The yellow-haired young man fell into silence, giving Tifa the signal to continue, "Cloud, you were at Healin lodge because you were researching on how to revive Aeris, isn't that right?"

Upon hearing this, Cloud looked away from her but she spoke, "Cloud, look straight at me and answer me."

Cloud sighed and frowned towards Tifa. "Yes, I am, Teef. But you see--"

"Heh, then it's all clear then; it's true," she stared down, unable to look at her childhood friend.

"Tifa, listen--"

She raised her hand to him, her palm facing his face, telling him to stop. When she stared at him, she was already crying. "Cloud, I understand. The point is there's nothing wrong with what you're doing; hence, there's no need to explain."

She saw the sympathy in his eyes; she knows that he feels sorry for her.

Tifa spoke, "No need to feel that way Cloud, I know what you're gonna say. Listen, go for what your heart says; no one will stop you. You honestly love Aeris and you're still in love with her. If meeting her again will bring back the joy in your heart then there is no reason for you to abort your journey."

At that point, Cloud didn't really know what to feel; to be happy or to be sad. To be happy, because he knew she was supporting him, or to be sad, because she loves him but can't do anything to help her.

Tifa wiped the tears from her eyes but it seemed that she wasn't able to control her emotions. She can't stop crying. Her heart is currently deluged in a sea of sorrow and it seems it can't make it back alive. Sh e breathes, but her heart is dead, emotionally dead.

After a few minutes of silence, Cloud stood up and faced Tifa. She looked at him and before she could blink her eyes, he took her to him, embracing her. Tifa was surprised, flabbergasted, shocked, overwhelmed that no words can really describe what she was feeling. She felt vulnerable but secured, safe and sound in his embrace; she could feel her heart jump back to life. She had wished for this to happen, for this stay forever, for this become not a memory but something she experiences everyday. She felt bliss in his tight embrace.... but it was not meant for her. She wasn't the love of his life.

That is the truth.

He let go of her, and wiped the single tear that flowed on her cheek. She saw her smile again, after what seemed like decades. This time, his smile was full of joy, of happiness, of exultation. Oh how she wish she would see him smile everyday, but that could only take place in her dreams.

"Thank you, Tifa," he said. "I am very blessed that I have a friend like you. I am happy to know someone like you. I'm happy you understand what I feel. I just want you to know that I love you too, but not as equally as what you feel. Nevertheless, I will never forget someone like you and I will do my best to help you in every way that I can. Thank you very much, Tifa."

"Never mind me, Cloud, I'm a strong girl!" Tifa chirped, raising her fist in the air, but eyes still puffy with the endless flow of tears. What she said didn't go well with what she really feels, it was completely obvious. "So I guess this is goodbye?"

"Yeah," Cloud stressed, "But you'll hear from me soon when I can."

"You don't need to, Cloud. Do not feel obliged."

"Huh?"

She smiled at him, "Listen, Cloud.. this is what I want. From now on, I must never see you nor hear everything from you. You know I love you and I still can't forget what I feel for you but I must do. I will do no harm to you but all I'm asking is that you stay away from me. I want to start a new life. I think it's fair anyway, since you're going to start a new life, too."

Cloud looked sad but he just nodded. "I respect your decision, Tifa. If that's what you want."

"Make a promise, Cloud." Tifa said and raised her right hand, just like someone taking a pledge. "From now on you will forget a woman named Tifa Lockhart and I will forget a man named Cloud Strife. When we meet again, we will start off as strangers, two person who knows nothing about each other but will eventually be good comrades. Loud and clear, Strife?"

"Yes," he told her, but eyes filled with loneliness and grief.

"Cheer up, Cloud! No hard feelings, okay?" she moved closer to him and whispered, "This will be the last time I'll be saying this for my entire life. Thank you for everything, thank you for letting me know what love is. I'll never regret that you were the first man I've ever loved, and so I love you up until now, and letting you go means I love you. Take care, and goodbye to you."

_The stars are fading_

_Tonight, everything is changing_

_You and I, we need to say goodbye_

_Go to the right path and start our new lives._

**A/N: There! I'm done. This was the first fic I've written after getting over my writer's block this year (I'm trying my best to fight it) and I do hope I'll get reviews. I'm not a CloTi nor CloRis; I just wrote this because this is what I think the most possible thing that could happen to the canon storyline. I have no ill intentions for writing this one, though. Thanks for reading!**


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